The Beast Within (2024) | Film Review

When The Beast Within begins, Noah and Imogen are already deep into their rather mysterious routine. Imogen (Ashleigh Cummings) packs up her husband, Noah (Kit Harington), and drives him off their remote property in the English countryside, only to return shortly without him. Later the next day, Imogen hits the road and returns with a far wearier Noah. He is disheveled, exhausted, and irritable. All of this is seen through the eyes of their 10-year-old daughter, Willow (Caoilinn Springall).

Willow begins to suspect there is so much more to this façade than meets the eye, which her surly grandfather (an underused James Cosmo) alludes to, and hitches a secret ride on one of her mother’s escorts. What she witnesses is the beastly explosion of a man consumed by a monstrous underbelly, a seeming family werewolf curse that might ultimately consume them all.

Directed by Alexander J. Farrell (and written by Farrell along with Greer Taylor Ellison), The Beast Within aims to put a new spin on the werewolf tale. Infused with the underpinnings of an abusive relationship – Noah’s eruptions are not limited solely to the hours of the full moon – and a daughter’s desperate need to understand what ails her father, Farrell’s story is ripe with potential.

Unfortunately, it takes far too long for the script to fully engage with its intricately clever ideas. The first two acts feel haphazardly constructed, almost delivering the meat of the tale in dreamlike bites the audience is forced to digest rather than the more straightforward approach taken in the far more riveting and complex final act. The concept within this film is a sharp twist on the werewolf mythos, if only the pacing of the early parts of the film matched the finale.

Ashleigh Cummings (phenomenal in Hounds of Love) as Imogen repeatedly finds her time to shine, as a woman saddled with burdens of varying degrees, and both the strength and pain of her performance is a highlight of the film overall. Kit Harington also turns in a rather layered performance and manages to channel his inner rage in a far more expressive manner than Game of Thrones ever seemed to allow. Noah is a loving bastard, and Harington clearly relishes the opportunity to showcase his range.

The true standout is Caoilinn Springall as Willow. Child actors can go either way, and this film is completely reliant on the audience’s investment in Willow’s curiosity, which Springall deftly covers with confidence. It is Willow’s eyes through which the film unfolds, and the wonder of a child’s mind as it processes trauma is well executed by the obviously talented young actress.

Director Alexander J. Farrell imbues The Beast Within with a creative take on werewolf lore, and despite the rather middling first hour that claws away at the film’s true potential, still warrants a watch to truly appreciate the final act’s commitment to its fascinating and thrilling ideology.

Listen to our full podcast review of The Beast Within on this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast: